


flash flash flinch

by artsyspikedhair



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Credence Barebone Needs a Hug, Gen, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Legilimency, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-13 07:26:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11179890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artsyspikedhair/pseuds/artsyspikedhair





	flash flash flinch

the thing about thoughts is that they never turn off. Oh, Queenie can block them out all right, much like people can block out background noise in order to have a conversation. But they are always there. Always. 

the thing about Credence Barebone was that he didn't know what Queenie could do. That wasn't intentional, but between finding him half dead in the streets and convincing the landlord to let him live with them, the Legilemency never really came up. Queenie never listened in on Credence. Not until today. 

It wasn't that she meant to, it's just that he was so hard to block out. The flashs of images from Credence's last nightmare plagued him, and, subsequently her. Then there was Credence reasoning to himself "he's not touching me not touching me he's gone he's not here there's nothing be so fucking afraid of just eat your damned breakfast come on!" Queenie decided to talk, then. Distract the poor boy. 

"Credence? Do you like the pancakes?" 

"They're fine."

Graves had gotten him pancakes once, before, before everything went wrong. They weren't chocolate chip like Queenie's but it was the first meal he'd eaten in two days. But then after the diner, there was the payment... 

Queenie had never experienced thoughts-memories, she supposed-so intensely before. This wasn't just images or noise, this was tactile. She was feeling what Credence felt, in the memory, the violations Credence had been through, and it was wrong. She shouldn't be invading his thoughts like this, but she can't stop it, can't stop feeling a phantom man touching body parts she doesn't have. How often did Credence experience this? How did he survive? 

Credence's breathing quickened. Distractions, Queenie thought. "Credence, are you okay? Here sweetie, follow the light." She lit a swift lumos and moved it in a way that would inherently calm his brain by forcing him to take in the surroundings he was in. Credence's eyes tracked the motion, and the disturbing memories stopped as he remembered where he was.

Queenie took a sip of her water before asking what she thought would be an unobtrusive question. "Credence, does that breathing thing happen often?" 

"Not-no, it's only started since my obscurius was killed. I don't know why. I'm sorry I ruined breakfast." 

"nonono, sweetheart, you haven't ruined anything! It makes sense, you were in an extremely stressful situation and now you're safe, so now your body might be trying to process the events because it is safe to."

Credence gasped. Her theory made sense, but how did she know so much? Then he remembered, her sister tried to save him. "So, do you know how to stop it?" 

"Well, I do know one thing that can help with unwanted memories. It's called a Pensieve. "


End file.
